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(No Model.) 72 SheetsSheet 1.

H. W. KENNISON. GARMENT HANGER.

No. 586,972. Patented July 27, 1897.

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abbouma (No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

W. KENNISON.

GARMENT HANGER.

NO. 586,972. Patented July 27, 1897.

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T I /I J 6 if f UNITED STATES I PATENT OFFICE.

HERBERT W. KENNISON, OF NEW PORTLAND, MAINE, ASSTGNOR TO THE SOMERSET NOVELTY MANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

GARMENT-HANGER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 586,972, dated July 27, 1897. Application filed September 29,1896. Serial No. 607,314. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, HERBERT W. KENNI- SON, a citizen of the United States, residing at New Portland, in the county of Somerset and State of Maine, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Garment-Hangers; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to certain improvements in garment-hangers.

An object of the invention is to provide an improved trousers hanger or clamp, so formed and constructed in an improved manner as to be easily and quickly operated to grasp or release the trousers by grasping them beneath the bottom hems or turned-in portions and holding the trousers in an inverted position.

Another object of the invention is to provide a trousers clamp or hanger comprising a body having a rigid jaw and a turn-button, and a swinging jaw having a rounded engaging edge or surface, and a cam-surface to be engaged by said button to force the swinging jaw toward the rigid jaw.

Another object of the invention is to provide certain improvements in arrangements and constructions and in combinations of parts as to provide a highly-improved and advantageous trousers hanger or clamp.

Another object of the invention is toprovide certain improvements in details of construction and arrangements of parts whereby an improved and efficient coat-hanger is produced.

The invention consists in certain novel features of construction and in combinations and arrangements of parts, as hereinafter more fully and particularly set forth and described.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a front elevation of the device supporting a coat and pair of trousers, dotted lines showing the adjustable end supports entering the armholes of the coat and also outlining the portions of thetrousers clamp or hanger beneath the coat.

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the clamp without the end coat-supports, the movable jaw being raised to show the seam-receiving recesses in both jaws and the rounded edge or surface of the movable jaw. Fig. 3 is a front elevation of the device with the end coat-supports, the locking-button shown in position off the cam-surface to perunit opening of the movable jaw. Fig. 4 is a rear elevation of the device, showing the end coat-supports moved outwardly to receive a large coat, a portion of the body of the support being broken away to show the socket in which the rod of one end support is adjustable. Fig. 5 is a cross-section with the locking-button in clamping position, not as shown in Fig. 3. Fig. 6 is an elevation or top plan of one of the end coat-supports;

Referring to the accompanying drawings, 0b is the body of the clamp, havingatop hook I or other suspending device of any suitable form or construction. The rear face of the clamp is preferably plain or flat, with a cen tral circular or other shaped depression 0 to receive a label or advertisement, &c., which is thus arranged below the face of the body, and scratching oft, defacing, and injury thereto is hence avoided. The lower portion of the front face of the. body of the hanger or clamp is longitudinally rabbeted or cut away from end to end to form in transverse section the right-angled recess, one side of which constitutes the rigid jaw 01 of the clamp.

e is the movable or swinging jaw, at its upper edge united by hinges e to the body of the hanger, so that themovable jaw can swing toward and from the rigid jaw and so that when the movable jaw is in a position parallel with the rigid jaw its trousers-engaging face will be a considerable distance from the corresponding face of the rigid jaw and there will be a space between the upper edge of.

the movable jaw and the bottom or under edge of the body of the hanger. Hence when the movable jaw is swung to the rigid jaw it will present the lower edge or portion of its inner surface to the rigid jaw, leaving a space between the upper portions of the inner faces of the two jaws in which the thick lower ends of the trousers-legs rest, while the lower edge of the movable jaw bites the legs of the trousers below the hems or thick inturned portions at the ends of the trousers-legs, thereby locking the trousers in the clamp in a re versed position without stretching the trousers out of shape or disarranging the same in any way.

The lower portion of the inner surface or edge of the movable jawis rounded orcurved outwardly, as shown at 6 to prevent the presentation of a sharp edge to the cloth of the trousers and so as to form a somewhat extended bearing-surface to clamp the trousers against the rigid jaw.

The inner surfaces of the two jaws, preferably to one side of the center of the length thereof, are provided with the transverse coinciding recesses or grooves f f, to receive these port-ions of the trousers-legs in which the vertical side seams are located. The movable jaw thereby exerts a uniform pressure across the trousers-legs, and excessive pressure on the thick portions of the legs formed by the vertical seams is thus avoided, which excessive pressure at such point would tend to render the seams smooth or glossy, with a worn appearance, and if such recesses were not provided the jaws would grip the trousers with pressure only at the thick seams, and hence the shape of the trousers would be destroyed by hanging from one point only. As formed the jaws grip the trousers uniforinly completely across the legs, and hence the trousers are kept in shape and form while hanging and the proper shape can be in a measure restored to bagg i trousers or trousers out of shape by continued wearing.

Suitable clamping and releasing devices are provided to lock the movable jaw in clam ping position,holding the trousers against the rigid jaw, and to permit ready and instant release of the movable jaw and removal or insertion of the trousers. As here shown, the clamping device comprises a circular or other shaped socket or recess g, depressed in the front face of the body of the hanger and extending down into the front or outer face of: the movable jaw. The portion of the recess in the movable jaw is provided with a segmental camsurface h of a constantly upwardly increasing curvature.

'i is a button in length slightly less than the diameter of said recess and pivoted concentrically in the recess on a screw or other pivot 'i', secured in the body of the hanger. The recess is so arranged that when the button is arranged in length parallel with the length of the hanger it will be-over the body of the hanger and out of the portion of the recess in the jaw, so that the jaw can be opened and closed at pleasure. lVhen in this position, the upper end of the cam-groove will prevent the button turning in one direction and when turned in the opposite direction one end of the button will move into the recess in the jaw, and as the button moves around said end rides up on the cam-surfaces and forces the movable jaw against the trousers-legs and toward the rigid jaw until the trousers are firmly clamped, which depends on the thickness of the cloth employed in the trousers. Trousers-legs of different thicknesses can thus be easily clamped and received in the hanger by reason of the button traveling up the cam-surface of an increasing curvature. The disadvantageous employment of springs is thus avoided and a most strong, simple, and durable clamping device is provided wherein the clamping-button is braced when moving up the inclined cam or when in clamping position thereon by having its opposite end bearing down on the bottom of the recess in the body of the hanger beyond and on the opposite side of the pivot of the button or turnable locking-lever 7;.

It should be noted that my invention is not limited to the rigid jaw formed integral with the body of the hanger, or to the employment of seam-receiving recesses in both jaws of the clamp, or to the peculiar specific clamping devices employed, or to employment in connection with the coat-hanging devices hereinafter set forth.

If desired, the trousers-clamp can be provided with a coat and vest supporting attachment, which in fact could be employed in connection with any supporting-body, not necessarilya trousers-clamp. To this end the body of the clamp is formed with longitudinal holes or sockets j j, extending inwardly from each end, usually extending almost to the center of the body. Two long slide-rods k 7; are arranged in these holes and are formed to fit the holes with sufficient friction to remain in the desired adjustments, yet so as to permit the rods to be pulled in or out to receive coats of different sizes.

The outer end of each rod is secured in the edge of a circular disk or supporting-body Z, having the rounded edges Z. The disks are of the same size and of such diameter as to enter in a horizontal position the armhole of any coat or cloak the support is adapted to receive.

In use the coat is placed over the body of the hanger with the disks entering the armholes of the coat, the disks having been previously adjusted toward or from each other so as to extend about one-quarter of the diameter of each into the respective armholes.

If a'vest is to be supported, it is placed on the hanger before the coat is hung thereon, with the end supports passing through and beyond the vest-armholes and the vest preferably hanging from the rods carrying said enlarged end supports.

It will thus be observed that a coat-hanger is provided having adjustable enlarged rounded end supporting heads, disks, or bodies which extend into the sleeves of the coat and properly support the coat without stretching or disarranging the same at the shoulders or other portions. There are certain portions of the shoulders of coats which should not rest on a support, while other portions of the shoulders should be supported when the coat is hanging to preserve its proper shape, and by reason of the peculiarshape and manner of supporting the end heads employed in my device the certain portions of the shoulders are supported, while portions of the shoul ders between said heads and the collar of the coat are not supported.

The device described herein can be conveniently employed by the individual in the wardrobe, by the dealers in the salesroom for the proper display and preservation of cloth having a jaw, a movable jaw hinged to the body, a recess in the outer faces of the body and movable jaw, and a swinging clamping member in said recess and pivoted to the body and arranged to move into and engage the floor of the recess in the jaw and press the jaw into clamping position.

2. A trousers-hanger comprising a body having a jaw, a movable jaw at its upper edge hinged to the body and arranged beside the first-mentioned jaw and having a cam-surface, and a movable hand-operated member pivoted to the body and arranged to swing over said movable jaw and engage said surface to force'said jaw into locking position, substantially as described.

3. A garment-hanger, comprising a body having two jaws, one of which is movable with respect to the other, a button pivoted between its ends to the body, the movable jaw having a cam-surface on which one end of the button rides while the opposite end of the but ton braces against the body, substantially as described.

4. A garment-hanger comprising a body having two jaws, one of which is movable with respect to the other, the body and movable jaw having a recess or depressed seat, said jaw having a cam-surface in the recess, and a button in the recess pivoted to the body and arranged to ride on the cam-surface to force the movable jaw in, substantially as described.

5. A garment-hanger comprising a body having a rigid jaw depending from its lower edge, the movable jaw having the rounded or curved lower inner edge and the intermediate depression to receive the vertical hem of the trousers-legs, hinges uniting the upper end of the movable jaw to the lower end of the body with the upper portion of the movable jaw a distance from the inner face of the rigid jaw so that the lower edge 'of the movable jaw moves in to clamp the trousers-legs leaving the space above for the bottom hems of the trousers-legs, and a swinging hand-operated locking member pivoted to the body and arranged to slide onto and press in the movable jaw, and to permit outward swing of the movable jaw by moving from the same and onto the body, substantially as described.

6. A garment-hanger comprising a body having a rigid jaw depending from its lower edge, a movable jaw, permanent hinges be tween the upper end of the movable jaw and the lower end of the body, and a hand-operated locking-lever on the outer face of and pivoted to the body between and independently of the hinges and arranged to swing onto the outer portion of the movable jaw and force said jaw in, and to permit opening of the movable jaw by moving from the same onto the body, substantially as described.

7. A garment-hanger comprising a body having a rigid jaw, a coacting movable jaw hinged to the body, and a turn-button pivoted between its ends so that its opposite ends swing onto the body and movable jaw, re-

spectively, one of which is provided with a cam-surface on which one end of the button rides to press in the movable jaw, substantially as described.

8. In a garment-hanger, the combination of an elongated body provided with centrallylocated suspending means and having its upper edge raised at the central portion so as to support a coat thereon, at or about the collar or neck portion only, said body having sock ets extending horizontally inwardly from its opposite ends, horizontal rods in said sockets, each rod at its outer end having a horizontal circular disk or head rigid therewith and arranged to extend into the armhole of a coat, whereby the coat will be held shaped at the armholes and will have its shoulders stretched from the central portion of the body without being supported directly at certain intermediate portions of the shoulders, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

HERBERT W. KENNISON.

Witnesses:

GEORGE O. SHELDON, HENRY W. OARvILL. 

